Shovel.



W. CUSTER.

sHovELl APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13. 191.'.

Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

q. l is WALTER CUSTER, OF HILL CITY, KANSAS.

SHOVEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Deo. 17, 191.8.

Application led September 13, 1917. Serial No. 191,189.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WALTER CUSTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hill City, in the county of Graham and State of Kansas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Shovels; and Ido herebydeclare the following jto be a full, clear, and eXact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to shovels, and while my invention is notrestricted to any special class of shovels I will for the purpose ofillustration confine the disclosure and description of my invention to ashovel commonly known as a stove shovel.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a shovel formedentirely of a single piece of metal cut from a blank of sheet metalpreferably galvanized iron.

Another object of this invention is to so cut the blank as to providesectors which sectors when bent and folded and secured together form theparts of the shovel and efficiently reinforce each other in a manner toadd rigidity and stability to the parts of the shovel.

Another object of this invention is to so form the handle of the shovelfrom the blank that the same will be provided with lips or lugs whichare secured to the lower f portion of the back of the shovel forreinforcing the handle and at the same time to provide for thepositioning of the handle in oblique relation to the horizontal plane ofthe body of the shovel.

Another object of this invention is to provide a one piece shovel whichis strong and durable, neat in appearance, and which can be manufacturedand sold upon the market at a nominal cost.

These and other objects and advantages will more fully appear as thenature of the invention is more clearly understood from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings whereinthere is disclosed one embodiment of the invention, but which issusceptible to numerous variations and alterations in the form,construction, and arrangement of the parts to meet the exigencies of thecase without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding thescope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the com pleted shovel. v

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the shovel.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the shovel.

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view drawn through theshovel slightly off center. Y

Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view on line 5 5 of Fig. 4;.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the blank from which the shovels areformed, showing the manner of cutting the blanks for the shovelstherefrom.

Referring to the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denotecorresponding parts throughout the several views, 1

fdenotes the blank from which the shovels are formed by cutting aplurality of shovel blanks therefrom, more clearly shown in Fig. 6, by asuitable form ofrdie. The blank 1 is cut along the lines 2 which arecurved at 3 to provide rounded corners, the lines 2 being also inclinedas at et, and at these points the blank 1 is cut inwardly and at rightangles to the lines 2 along the lines 5. The blank 1 is further cutalong the lines 6 in alinement with the lines 2 and also along theconverging lines 7 for a distance and which lines 7 terminate at theends of the lines v8 which are cut transversely of the shovel blanks orparallel to the lines 5. The blank 1 is further cut transversely of theshovel blanks for a distance inwardly alongl the substantially S-shapedlines 9.

This manner of cutting the blank 1 provides the blanks from which theshovels are formed in any desired numbers and, there fore, provides thesector or bottom 10 of the body of the shovel, the sectors or sidemembers 11, the sector or back 12 of the shovel, the reinforcing flaps13, the sector la from which the-hollow substantially frusto-conivcalvhandle of the shovel is formed. In

forming the shovels from such blanks, each blank is rst bent along theline 15 until the sectors 12, 13 and 14 are at right angles to thesectors 10 and 11 and thereafter the sectors 13 are bent inwardly alongthe lines 16 and at right angles to the sector 12 or back of the shovel.Subsequently the sectors 11 are bent inwardly along the lines 17 and atright angles to the sector 10 with the inner surface of their rear endportions contacting with the outer surfaces of the sectors lfand withthe apertures 18 of the sectors 11 registering with the apertures 19 ofthe sectors 13 and through whichapertures are passed the rivets or'other suitable securing means as indicated in Fig. 1.. rlhisconstitutes the body of the shovel consisting of the bottom 10, the sidemembers 11, the back 12, and the reinforcing flaps 13.

Subsequently the edges of the 'sector 14 formed by the lines 7 are bentaround in rearward direction until these edges are brought face to faceas indicated at 7 in Fig. 3 which provides the hollow substantiallyfrusto-conical handle 14, which handle 14 is then bent downwardly alongthe line '-21 and at right angles to the sector or back 12 oi theshovel, and the lips orlugs 22 are then bent downwardly at substantiallyright angles to the bottom oithe handle 14 and engage the rear surfaceof the back 12 of the shovel with lthe apertures 23 of the lipsor-'lugs' 22 registering with the apertures 24 formed through the back12 in proximity to the juncture of the back 12 with the bottom 10, andthrough the apertures 23 of the lips 22 and the apertures 21 of the back12'are passed the rivets or other suitable securing means 25 as clearlyshown in Figs. s1, 3, 4t and 5.

By the provision'of the apertured lips 22 and securing the same to theapertured portion 21 of the back 12 in proximity to its juncture withthe bottom 10 of the shovel, the handle is not 4only efficientlyreinforced at its vulnerable point but is enabled to be positioned inoblique relation to .the plane of the bottom 10 of shovel and at thesame Atime provides for the slight curving of the handle lll to providefor the convenient and proper positioning of the body `of the shovelwhen in use, and for conveniently hanging Athe shovel. upon a nail orother support when not in use the sector or'handle 14 of the shovel isprovided withsthe aperture 26.

the flaps 13 inside of the side members 11 of the shovel the forwardedges of the vflaps neeaeoi will not interfere with thefreeuse vof the.shovel kas it will be impossible tor the edges of the flaps 13 toContact or hang objects at the outer side .of the body orl the shovel,and, further, by providing the broad point of attachment between theupper edge portion of the back 12 and the connecting end portion of thehandle 14, the point of connection between the handle and the back ofthe shovel is made stronger and by additionally reinforcing this end ofthe handle by the provision of the lips or lugs which are secured to theback 12 adjacent the bote tom 10 the handle. 11 is made strong and moredurable at point which is the weakest point and is more readily Vbrokenpin shovels now made and used. .Y

Having described my invention, what' 1 claim as'new and desire to secure.byLetters Patent, Vis:

1. As an article of manufacture, a shovel: formed of a single blank ofmaterial and consisting ofra body comprising a' bottom haring sidemembers and a backV member adapted to be bent at an angle thereto, lugsY carried at the sides of the back member for overlapping andreinforcing said side members, an integra-l tapering handle portioncarried by said baclr member, and means Jfor securing said handleportion in tubular Vform and connecting the 'free edges thereof'with theback member. i Y y 2. As an article of manufacture, a shovel termedV ofa single blank of material 'and consisting of a body comprising a bottomadapted to be bent at 'an angle tliereto,"lugs carried at the sides ofthe back member for overlapping and reinforcing'said side menibers, vanintegral tapering handle portion Vhaving side members and a back memberfcarried 'by said back member, and lugs car#- ried by the under portionof saidhandle and secured to said back member torrein'forcing the handleand' positioning it at an acute angle to the plane of said body.

1n testimony7 whereof I have signedmyH v name to this specificationvl inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses. f f

WALTER CUSTER. y lllitn'esses: Y y Y W. L. Saintes, T. C. KE'LEHER.

lopes ci "his pet-ent niej; be o tained for five cents each; 'byaddressing the eminssieneref fatents,

